... isn’t quite in the class of its predecessor, but like all of Mr. Standage’s books, it is rewarding: the product of deep research, great intelligence and burnished prose. Moreover, he always comes up with offbeat and intriguing facts that I, for one, never knew.

... speckled with anecdotes, insights and surprises.

Standage starts rather grandly from the invention of the wheel itself. This seems to have happened in Europe, more than 5,000 years ago. Its associated problems are not new: even ancient Rome and Pompeii had traffic-calming measures. The story gathers pace in the 19th century, when the omnibus democratised wheeled travel and the invention of the steam engine, bicycle and internal combustion engine transformed it. This is great fun. Anyone who has not seen a picture of a Laufmaschine—the forerunner of the bicycle, which had no pedals and was propelled by running—is in for a treat.

[Standage] offers a balanced overview of new options being explored: autonomous vehicles, ride-share apps, vehicle sharing, and integrated transit systems. All offer potential benefits, and all come with risks. Any new technology will have consequences we don’t foresee. This is a well-researched exploration of an urgent subject..

The author’s methodology involves statistics and facts in moderation, leavened with humorous trivia in the service of entertaining and informing readers. Here, the author offers a witty, expansive, evolutionary look at transportation history.

... brisk and entertaining.